Early ed advocates hope to expand scholarships, end per-child cap

Never mind the long list of groups eyeing the state’s projected $1.1 budget surplus, advocates are betting they can make the case that full funding for early childhood education scholarships for needy families should top the list.

Rep. Ryan Winkler, DFL-Golden Valley, has already introduced legislation proposing to increase the amount of scholarship money available from $20 million to $150 million a year by 2017. The bill would also replace a controversial $5,000-a-year cap on scholarships with a system to award funds according to the average cost of care based on geographic location.

The changes would represent a dramatic step toward ensuring that all 3- and 4-year-olds from low-income families have access to high-quality early education — something researchers are convinced can stop the achievement gap from opening in the first place.

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Every Hand Joined is a Sustaining Network Member of the StriveTogether network. This national organization works with communities nationwide to help create a civic infrastructure that unites stakeholders around a shared vision of the future and a common set of goals and measurements of success for every child, cradle to career.